Wow the hospital life is rough! I started my pediatrics rotation two weeks ago and this is my first rotation where I’m working in a hospital on a team with residents, attending physicians, nurses, etc. Now I can fully appreciate the analogy of learning in medical school being like drinking from a fire hose. Each week is a new arena. I started in the pediatric ER and then switched to the newborn nursery, with one day in the neonatal intensive care unit. Just as I was starting to get the hang of examining tiny babies and the dynamics of one team, I’m off to the next arena, a week at an outpatient pediatrician’s practice. Hopefully, one day I’ll be able to look back fondly at this frantically exhausting time… In the meantime, I’ll just have to keep chugging!
Another unpredictable aspect of the hospital life is meals, so to make my life simpler, I pack myself a veggie burger everyday because 1) it’s nutritionally wholesome; 2) it’s easy and quick to scarf down; and 3) it doesn’t need to be heated. I used to just buy frozen, pre-made veggies patties, but I was always disappointed in how unsubstantial they were! Today’s recipe is for black bean burgers with a hearty harmony textures and flavors, great for whether you’re meal-prepping for one or having a cook-out for eight.
Black Bean Burgers
Makes 8 patties
Ingredients
- 16oz canned, low-sodium black beans
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 8oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced
- 1 large carrot, peeled and sliced
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp + 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1 egg
Directions
- In a sauté pan, heat 1 tbsp oil. Add onion and cook till it starts to turn translucent, ~2min. Add bell pepper and 1/2 tsp salt and continue to cook, ~2min. Add mushrooms and continue to cook, ~2min. Set aside and let cool.
- Rinse and drain the black beans. In a food processor, coarsely process the black beans and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Then, process raw carrots to small bits and transfer to the mixing bowl. Process the onion-bell pepper-mushroom mixture to coarse bits and transfer to the mixing bowl. Add chili powder, 1/2 tsp salt, rolled oats, almond flour, and egg; mix well.
- Scoop about 1/2 cup per patty and use hands to shape patty. Bake at 375F for 15min on one side, flip, and bake 10min on the other side. (Patties can be frozen, thawed, and re-heated.)
Pancake Yancake 